Expansion or team transfer: NHL in favor of structuring transport on rails

The National Hockey League (NHL) sees cities with structuring systems on rails; Effective public transport is one of the criteria for the granting of a team, confirms the deputy commissioner of the League.

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This is what Bill Daly said about written communication. The newspaper questioned Gary Bettman’s right arm on the criteria that come into account for the League when the time comes to assign a team to a city, whether in a process of expansion or transfer.

We asked whether the presence of a public transport network on rails, as opposed to a bus network, played in favor of a city that would like to obtain a concession from the League. We have cited as an example the light trains, the trams or the metros.

Fluidity

“The infrastructure around the arena, and the fluidity for the entry and exit of the site for supporters and other participants in the events, are always factors which are evaluated and which are welcomed positively when they are present” in a city, replied Bill Daly.

Quebec passed its turn during the last expansion round, in 2017, when the NHL preferred Las Vegas and Seattle. In April 2024, the new UTAH team paid $ 1.2 billion in the league expansion costs, in addition to acquiring the hockey structure of the Arizona coyotes. It evolves in Salt Lake City. These three cities have light public transport systems on rails.

Other criteria

Mr. Daly and Mr. Bettman have often mentioned, in the past, various other criteria which influence the assessment of the candidacy of a city to obtain a franchise. The owner or group of busy companies ready to acquire it is part of it, as is the presence of an arena that meets the League standards.

Under the leadership of the former mayor Régis Labeaume, Quebec has set up the Videotron center in 2015.

Owner group

For years, Quebecor has been interested in the acquisition of a team. Last year, the president and chief executive officer, Pierre Karl Péladeau, said he was open to finding partners to buy an NHL dealership, in the context where the franchises price increased in a “exponential” manner, he mentioned in a radio interview.

Mr. Péladeau responded to the appeal launched by Prime Minister François Legault, who enjoined him to associate himself with business partners. “I think Mr. Bettman, if he has a real offer on the table, will consider it,” said the PM.

The league now leaves the possibility of a new expansion. Quebec, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Hamilton and Portland have all expressed interest.

– with the QMI agency